Multiple socket assembly

ABSTRACT

A socket strip for miniature lamps with conductive pins extending downwardly therefrom. It comprises a plurality of sockets for the pins with flat soldering contacts extending from the bases of the sockets. The sockets are alternately mounted on two levels formed with superimposed decks, each having alternately arranged larger and smaller holes. The larger holes receive a socket on one deck, and the other hole receives the second pin from said lamp which passes into a socket positioned in the second deck.

United States Patent Inventor Kenneth Wessel White Plains, N.Y. Appl. No. 868,314 Filed Oct. 22, 1969 Patented Apr. 6, 1971 Assignee Sealectro Corporation Mamaroneck, N.Y.

MULTIPLE SOCKET ASSEMBLY 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 339/ 157, 339/192, 339/218 Int. Cl H0 lr 23/02, l l0lr 13/12 Field of Search 339/17 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/ 1949 Stickney 7/1955 Hunt 9/1957 Del Camp 3/1970 Kennedy FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1958 France Primary ExaminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Lawrence .l. Staab Attorney-James M. l-leilman ABSTRACT: A socket strip for miniature lamps with conductive pins extending downwardly therefrom. It comprises a plurality of sockets for the pins with flat soldering contacts extending from the bases of the sockets. The sockets are alternately mounted on two levels formed with superimposed decks, each having alternately arranged larger and smaller holes. The larger holes receive a socket on one deck, and the other hole receives the second pin from said lamp which passes into a socket positioned in the second deck.

Patented A ril 6, 1971 INVENTOR. KENNETH WESSEL JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

1 MULTIPLE socxar ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a socket strip for lamps arranged in straight line relation and are useful in connection with electrical units such as plugboards for controlling a large number of circuits. More broadly, the multiple socket assembly of the present invention can be installed in electrical units requiring a luminous indication of some function. While the assembly of the present invention is not limited to any particular size, it usually will be quite small of the order of A inch to rsinch in width and about 9/32 inch in thickness.

The miniature lamps used in connection with the assembly have two contact pins leading from the body and which are connected with the lamp filament. These contact pins can be readily inserted in holes in the socket strip which receive and support the sockets which form a connection with the pins.

An important object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive multisocket assembly, primarily for tiny lights and which is simple in construction and readily fabricated.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a broken plan view of present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a socket with attached contact;

FIG. 5 shows a modification.

The lamp suitable for mounting in the lamp socket strip of the present invention has a generally cylindrical body l0 and contact pins 11 and 12 passing through a solid wall at the lower end of the body. The filament 14 connected with the pins is enclosed in a transparent envelope 16. The socket strip is formed from superimposed strips of insulating material, the strips being referred to herein as upper and lower decks l8 and 19 with alternately arranged larger holes to receive the sockets and the smaller holes to receive the pins. The pins are long enough to extend through both decks so each pin passes through a socket which may be in the upper or lower deck and through one of the smaller holes with which will be in the other deck. A socket 20 has a generally U-shaped configuration whose opposed legs have inwardly curved contact sections 21 and extending from the base of each socket is a contact strip 22, all formed in one piece and stamped from sheet metal. The socket base has a hole 24 through which the pin, already the firm electrical contact with the socket, passes. The contact strips is sometimes referred to herein as a soldering strip and has a wire wrap hole 23 to facilitate the soldering operation.

This upper mounting strip 18 has a hole 26 of sufficient size the socket strip of the to receive the socket. Spaced from hole 26 is a smaller hole 28 through which the pin 11 passes and thence into a socket 29 located in a larger hole 26 in the lower deck. The sockets in the upper deck are supported on the upper face of the lower deck and the contact strip 22 passes out laterally between the decks. The two decks are secured together by adhesive (now shown) and this adhesive also secures the contact strips in place. The sockets 29 positioned in the holes 26 in the lower deck are supported by a thin plastic cover strip 30 which is then cemented in place.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the smaller holes 28 in the upper deck act as a pilot for the pin passing through to the socket in the lower deck and the smaller hole in the lower deck merely forms a receptacle for the lower end of the pin that enters this hole.

FIG. 3 shows, as a modification, a thin strip 34 which is adhered to the upper deck which has a plurality of pairs of holes, one hole 35 in each pair being of about the same size as, and being aligned with, each smaller hole 28 and the other hole 36 being of the same size as hole 35 and being centered with respect to large hole 26 in the upper deck. This facilitates the entry of the contact pins 11 and 12 into the sockets since it is sometimes difficult to insert the pin, by eye alone, in the center of the socket in the upper deck and, if it is inserted to one side of center, the other pin will not enter the small hole in the u r deck.

In iii: modified arrangement of FIG. 5, the contact strips from both decks are shown as emerging from one side only of the strip and the strips 22' from the lower deck are bent downwardly at a angle of almost 45 while strips 22 from the upper deck are bent at an angle of about 22.

It will be noted'from FIG. I that the center of smaller hole 28 at the left-hand end of upper deck 18 is spaced from this end the same distance as the center of large hole 26 is spaced from the right-hand end. By this arrangement, the blanks used in forming the upper and lower decks can have the holes placed identically so that these holes may be molded through a bank of the strips, thereby further reducing the cost.

I claim:

I. A socket strip for lamps with conductor pins extending downwardly therefrom and comprising a plurality of sockets for the pins with flat soldering contacts extending from the bases of the sockets, a pair of superimposed decks for insulating material, each having alternately arranged larger and smaller holes, each smaller hole in each deck being vertically aligned with a larger hole in the adjoining deck, one of said sockets being mounted in each of said larger holes, said socket adapted to receive a conductive pin with a portion thereof being received in said smaller hole.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the contacts for the pins of each lamp extend to opposite sides of the strip.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the contacts for the pins of each lamp extend from the same side of the strip.

4. The structure defined in claim I wherein the decks are adhesively secured together.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the lower deck is provided with a cover strip.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the upper deck has a cover strip with pairs of small holes aligned with the pairs of larger and smaller holes to facilitate entry of the pins in the upper deck.

UNITED STATES PATEN'I 0 FFKIE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,573,850 Dated April 6, 1971 Inve t Kenneth Wessel It is certified that error appears in the above-identified pate; and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

mm 1, last line, change "now" to not Col (Application page 3, line 25) On or about March 25, 1971, it was called to the attention of the Patent Office that the spelling of the adjacent word was incorrect. This correction was made, but "not" was also changed to now Signed and sealed this 17th day of August 1 97 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E.SCHUYLER, J]

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Paten 

1. A socket strip for lamps with conductor pins extending downwardly therefrom and comprising a plurality of sockets for the pins with flat soldering contacts extending from the bases of the sockets, a pair of superimposed decks for insulating material, each having alternately arranged larger and smaller holes, each smaller hole in each deck being vertically aligned with a larger hole in the adjoining deck, one of said sockets being mounted in each of said larger holes, said socket adapted to receive a conductive pin with a portion thereof being received in said smaller hole.
 2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the contacts for the pins of each lamp extend to opposite sides of the strip.
 3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the contacts for the pins of each lamp extend from the same side of the strip.
 4. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the decks are adhesively secured together.
 5. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the lower deck is provided with a cover strip.
 6. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the upper deck has a cover strip with pairs of small holes aligned with the pairs of larger and smaller holes to facilitate entry of the pins in the upper deck. 